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How To Build A Realistic Creek Pond
My yard is narrow and long with a six foot drop from left to right. The yard lends itself to a gently cascading creek. I wanted a creek that looked natural and was undistinguishable from a real creek.
There was a lot of information in books and the internet on how to build backyard ponds, but no information how to build what I wanted, a creek pond.
My pond is a simulated creek about 100 feet long with several cascades and basins. The largest and deepest basin holds goldfish. Two pumps in a skimmer well at the low end are used to lift the water back to the top end.
People with slopped property shaped similar to my own told me they and are interested in building something similar.
I caution them to do the homework first. Unlike a round pond which is easy to construct and are typically low maintenance there are some pitfalls with a creek pond.
I was able to adapt some of the techniques I have read about but had to develop a lot of my own. I looked at a lot of ponds with creeks and grabbed the best elements. To make the creek look realistic and function correctly requires planning.
Where to Begin
If you are thinking of building a pond you have already stood in your yard and visualized where it might go. You probably also already thought about what kinds of look you want.
A realistic water feature is a major undertaking and requires time. Pace yourself don’t try to do it all at once. My creek is 100 feet long and varies between 2 to 8 feet in width. In my case it took me several years to complete.
You may also be in for sticker shock. A typical pond will range in costs from $10,000 for a smaller pond to a $100,000 for a commercial sized pond, all depending on a variety of factors including size. But high price does not always insure a quality pond.
Major pond expenses are labor and material such as stone, liner, liner pad, planting and sometimes the fish.
By doing my pond myself over several seasons I was able to spread out the cost of the project and proceed at my own pace. I knew the look I wanted but had no idea of total cost. I did know I wanted to keep the cost as low as I could.
Even keeping the cost low, I didn’t want to cut corners on the materials. To get a good looking pond you must use high quality materials. Use the best looking stone, the pond will probably be the signature feature in your yard. Use the best liner and under-laymen, you don’t want have move 20 tons of stone to replace it in a few short years. Ensure it is installed correctly the first time. A pond rework can cost almost as much as the original cost.
Labor is the biggest expenditure in any builder’s quote, after all there is a lot of labor digging ponds. By using sweat equity and doing it in phases I was able to keep my costs down and work at my own pace. After all why pay a health club to exercise when you could move mountains of dirt.
Pond (a hole in the ground where you throw money in)
Weather you build it yourself or you have a builder construct it, by doing the planning yourself first you can have a pond that you envisioned. By doing the planning yourself, you will understand the process better and then be better able to communicate to the builder your desires and negotiate price.
Building Contractor
Not everyone is ready to do a major construction job. You can hire a professional if it is too big of an undertaking. Selecting the proper contractor is important. This is a sizable investment and you want a quality product when finished.
Ask to see his license.
Ask him how many employees does he have
Ask to see proof of Worker's Compensation and General Liability Insurance.
Ask if he will handle the building permit
Ask to see his guarantee for the pond construction and workmanship.
Ask to see his references, is there a lot or a few
Ask to see his design portfolio and customer list.
Ask to visit his existing customer’s ponds, ask them are they satisfied, was there any problems.
Ask how many ponds and waterfalls do they build in a year.
Ask about what rights you have if there is a change after the contract is signed.
Ask what training or qualifications does the contractor have for pond design, fish habitat or landscaping.
Ask about what collateral damage to the yard the construction will cause.
With the popularity of water gardening there are a lot competing companies that offer pond building from pool or lawn companies to garden centers and handy man services. There is money to be made so a lot has entered into the business without learning the basics.
Contractors don’t always construct the pond the way you envisioned. Most often the problem is a miscommunication between the builder and owner. It is disheartening to hear people dissatisfied with their new pond soon after it is built. It may even be a local builder who has done many ponds in the area. An informed owner on the construction techniques is the best way to avoid getting into these situations.
The builder will quote and construct you pond in a way that maximizes his profit and minimizes the cost. In other words, you get what you pay for. If the builder says he can build you pond for a low price, question where is he minimizing there cost. Some where the job will come up short, the pump is too small, the bio-filter is inadequate; he use roofing liner instead of fish safe liner or the pond is not deep enough. A well built pond when finished should be functional as well as beautiful.
Do the planning first. Know what materials you want such as rock, liner, filters and pumps. Know where you plan to install the pond. Know some of the construction techniques. The more informed you are the better you can communicate your desires to the builder.
It will also be easier to select builder quotes if they are all quoting the same thing, apples for apples. Explain to the builder the materials and design you want to install and the reasons why. Specify a completed by date but keep it realistic, most contractor often have several project going at the same time. They may want to make alterations or modifications to your basic project, if so ask for a justification and have them quote that separately.
Stone
There are many types of stone to choose. I want a creek that looks realistic to the tri-state (Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin) area. This area including the great lakes was carved out by glacier activity one million years ago. As the glacier flows over the bedrock surface it softens and lifts blocks of the granite and assimilates them into the ice flow. The rock fragments slide over the bedrock and the grinding of the surfaces smoothes and polishes the rocks. These rocks become smooth and round.
Glacier Stone of Various Sizes
When the glacier recedes it leaves these rocks behind often berried deep into the soil.
In natural creeks you will find these stones because the water of the creek erodes the surrounding soil and exposes the underlying rocks. Creek rocks are rarely all of the same size and color.
The glaciers dropped a large amount of this stone upper and middle Wisconsin. This is where most of this type of commercial stone in the garden centers comes from. In our area they call these granite stones field stone, Wisconsin field stone or cobbles.
I use Wisconsin field stone in variety of sizes from large 4 foot boulders weighing about a ton down to ½ inch sized pebbles.
Stone can be a bit pricy where I live, mostly for the cost of moving it. I did not get a lot of my stone at local garden center. I acquired it over years, I am still acquiring more. You would be amazed how much stone will fit in a minivan. Most the stone I have obtained was removed from under some Wisconsin farmers plow, they don’t want it. The larger ones (3 to 4 foot boulders) were acquired from remolding projects and highway crews. Keep your eyes open there are sometimes cheaper places to acquire stone than the local garden center.
There is another stone I did buy for use as the creek beds and waterfalls. This did come from the local stone center. It is blue slate flagstone in random shapes and thicknesses. You want the flagstone to be a minimum of ½ inch thick for durability. There are a large variety of commercial flagstone and slate to choose from. I happen to choose blue slate because it had the look I wanted and cost was a little less than some of the others. It also was available in the sizes and shapes that were good for my project.
I choose flagstone for the creek bottom over pebbles because it gives the appearance of being the underlining bed rock or soil. After it ages in the pond it will turn to a beautiful dark gray color which gives a natural looking creek bottom.
The flat surface of the flagstone also collects a lot less debris than the crevices between the pebbles. Debris will get trapped between the pebbles and then decompose causing unwanted bacteria. These bacteria may cause the pond to become smelly and may be deadly to the fish and wildlife. Pebbles are very labor intensive to maintain.
Another advantage of the flagstone is it can be continued to the edge of the following basin to give a nice sharp and interesting edge for a waterfall. Waterfalls made of pebbles are difficult to make and look strange.
Creek with Pebble Bottom
Creek with Blue Slate Flagstone
Buried Services
Before you dig call your utility companies (Julie) and have them mark your property for buried utilities such as gas, electric and phone. This service is free and they usually will come out within a week.
My creek is actually on a utility easement, but all the utility lines are in the neighbor’s utility easement parallel to my yard. You can build a pond over an easement but remember they have the right to dig it up if they need to.
Local Building Codes
Some community codes require that ponds 18 in. or deeper require fences around ponds. Check with your local government. Ponds are not like pools, they have different regulations.
Water Service
Locate a water pipe and faucet where you plan to fill the pond. Creek ponds are more sensitive to level changes and need topping off more often.
Install a back flow presenter where the water faucet pipe enters the house to prevent ground water contamination of the house water.
The nature of a flowing creek is a lot of the water is suspended in the creek bed. On the occurrence of a power failure and the reticulation pump stops, the approximately 100 gallons of water that stays continuously suspended in the creek, bio-filter, and the piping will drain out of the creek system.
When the power is returned, the pumps restart and them quickly empty out the reserve basin. The pump will run dry. The 100 gallons of missing water needs to be replaced quickly to return the creek to equilibrium.
I recommend a system that tops off the pond automatically. There are several commercial products available, such as a mechanical float-valve device that works like the float in a toilet tank. Another method is to use a level switches and a solenoid.
Planning
Pond construction can be costly and expensive mistakes can be avoided in the planning stages. The last thing you want is a creek that doesn’t look right or doesn’t function correctly. It is difficult to correct a pond that won’t hold water due to improper lay-up.
A round pond with 5000 gallons of water has about 30 feet of shoreline. A creek pond with 5000 gallons will have 180 feet of shoreline. Proper shore line leveling of the creek pond is crucial to prevent water spillage.
Electric Service
A power outlet needs to be located at the pumps. Make sure the outdoor outlet is in a weatherproof housing and is feed by a ground fault circuit interrupting (GFCI) circuit. Use only ac wire that is designed for burial in the ground. Use the larger size rating say 20 amp instead of a 15 amp wire. The cost difference is low and you will have future capacity for larger pumps or lighting circuits.
Burry the wire at least 18 to 24 inches deep to prevent dig-up. If the electric line runs anywhere you dig normally or it comes out of the ground use a plastic conduit for physical protection.
A Weatherproof Outdoor Outlet
Little Giant Model 566079 Waterfall Pump
Pump
Size your pump to turn over the pond’s entire volume once per hour.
To calculate the approximate volume of your pond, multiply the length by the width by the average depth in feet. This gives the volume in cubic feet. Multiply by 7.48 to get the volume in gallons. There are many internet pond volume calculators you can use.
The height the pump needs to move the water will affects the flow rate as shown on the chart.
High-efficiency pumps can cost more money upfront but will last longer and are less expensive to run. Since your pond pump will running 24/7 this is the better option.
Recirculation Pipe
For continuous water circulation you will need a pump and pipe to the other end of the creek.
The distance the pump needs to move the water also reduces the flow rate. To reduce the surface drag on the inside of the pipe, use a continuous material in the largest diameter. A good rule of thumb is to use a pipe size as big as or bigger than the size of the pumps discharge. Avoid using elbows, every time the water needs to change direction it will reduce volume. If possible use gradual curves instead of sharp elbows.
I selected a high density polyethylene (HDPE) manufactured to ASTM specification D2239. This pipe is rated at 160 PSI at 73°F. The HDPE pipe is nearly chemically inert, is well designed for ground burial, ordinary shifting and settling of soil will not fracture, shear or collapse the pipe. The interior of the pipe is very smooth providing less drag for the water.
Little Giant S1000 Skimmer
Skimmer
I recommend using a skimmer box at the end of the creek. The skimmer box is used to skim off or filter floating debris such as leaves, acorns and sticks. The skimmer box is also where the recirculation pump is usually mounted. There are several different designs and style but they all function about the same way.
This one has a removable inlet screen to inhibit fish, frogs and other aquatic life from entering the skimmer. It has a leaf net to catch floating debris, biological brushes to aid in catching debris and eliminate clogging problems. It has an easy-to-install liner weir cover plate. The S1000 is good for 3000 gallon ponds and the S5000 for 5000 gallon ponds.
Bio-Filter
If you plan to have fish in the pond you will need a bio-filter. A biological filter or "bio filter" is a place for helpful bacteria to live that act upon the nitrogen cycle. The biologic media provides surface area where the bacteria can live, the more surface area the more beneficial bacteria. The pond water is continuously pumped over the media where the bacteria will convert the ammonia from the fish waste and decaying organic debris to nitrite then nitrite to nitrate. Other bacteria finish the cycle of converting the nitrate to free nitrogen used by the plants.
The bio filter is sized according nitrogen loading. Higher density fish populations require bigger bio filters. Calculating the load of nitrogenous wastes is derived from the source the fish foods. The ammonia comes from the eaten food from the fish as urea and uneaten decayed food. This ammonia must then be broken down by the bacteria.
T. B. Lawson of Louisiana State University proposes that a biological media surface area of one square meter will host enough bacteria to process one gram of ammonia into nitrite, and then into nitrate. Thus, the following equation will give you the required biological media surface area:
Nitrogen loading equation: Fm * Pr ≈ 0.05 * Tfm ≤ Area
Where:
Fm = Food mass in grams (equal to 3-5% of the fish body mass per day)
Pr = Protein ratio of the food (Koi fish food contains about 40% protein)
Tfm = Total fish mass in grams
Area = biological filter media surface area in square meters
This one is a pressurized biological filter which promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria to naturally balance the water, improving purity and clarity. It has mechanical and biological filtering, easy to back flush and has a grip-n-twist handle allows filter cleaning without removing lid. It is good for pond up to 2400 gallons.
Bio-filters do half the job you must have enough aquatic plants to consume the nitrogen produced by the bio filter.
If you plan to have Koi in the pond there are special considerations. Koi get up to 30 inches long and can live 20 or 30 years. Koi eat a lot of food and creates a large nitrogen load. Most Koi experts recommend the bio filter be about 1/3 to 2 times of the volume of the Koi pond itself. If you plan to have Koi I recommend fist contacting one of the local Koi club for advice on the bio-filter and other topics.
Giant BioVort Pressurized Pond Filter Model Number: PF-2400
Little Giant Biological Media
Survey
To draw up the pond accurately I first measure the existing landscape. I pick two known reference points that don’t change. I use two points on the back of the house. I can accurately locate the position of any object in the yard by the use of triangulation. I measure the distance to the object from each of these two points. I later transfer them to paper the same way.
Surveying the Landscape
Elevation Survey
The elevation also needs to be surveyed. You don’t need an expensive transit or laser.
The best tool to use is a reservoir water level. It can easily be made with a plastic bucket, a barbed tube fitting and 50' of 3/8" ID (Inside Diameter) clear tubing. All this stuff can be found at the local hardware stores. Commercial reservoir levels are also available fairly cheaply.
With this level and a ruler I can find an elevation anywhere with in the 50 feet of the reservoir. This type of level provides a stable reference line because the reservoir is large compared to the column in the tube.
Water seeks it own level whether it is in a pond or in a tube. The tube can go over obstacles without affecting the accuracy of readings. The water level in the tube will stay at the same reference level irregardless of locations. You only need to make sure not to loose any water in the level.
You will locate the reservoir at the highest point, this becomes the reference zero. All other readings will be less than this. An elevation measurement is made by holding the tube up to where you can see the level in the tube. Measure the distance with a ruler from the top of the water column in the tube to the ground. This is your elevation from zero. Move to the next location do the same.
A common technique for leveling shorelines is to use stakes and string. Use a good quality construction grade nylon string, Nylon won’t stretch after it is strung and will say taunt even after it gets wet. Place the stake a few feet back from the edge where you dig. Use the water level to set the string at the desired level on the stake. Once the string level is set you can then use the string to measure down to the desired depth.
A Water Level
Stake and String Level Lines
Construction Method
The methods used in installing a creek pond are different for a round pond. This is why some creeks don’t look right in some ponds.
The best design for a downhill creek is to use stair stepping. This closely imitates what you see in natural creeks where the creek cuts its way through rock and soil. The area under a creeks waterfall is always deeper because the turbulence of the falling water erodes out the soil or rock below. The creek will almost never be a constant depth due to motions of the water.
Most creeks in nature are not straight. A natural creek will change course when it hits a high spot because it will always wants to follow the path of lest resistance.
The creek can be designed as deep or flat as you desire. You want to vary the creeks path and shape to make it visually interesting. The more you imitate nature the more realistic you creek will look. You also need to incorporate existing trees and bushes into the design.
Stair Step Method
Laying out the Pond on Paper
Design
I lay up a master drawing of the yard as it is now using the survey data I have collected. I draw the yard to scale at 1 inch equals 10 feet. I now have an accurate representation of the yard for planning. I use drafting paper which has a slight transparency. I can then overlay different Ideas onto the main drawing as I develop different concepts. Use drafting tape to tape on overlays it is designed to come off the paper easily without ripping. I will also lay up an elevation drawing that plans how deep and long the basins will be and the placement of the waterfalls.
The majority of how to books I have read tells you do not locate the pond in the shade. But some of the best looking ponds I have seen are in the shade. A creek among trees and bushes looks very natural. Take advantage of exiting landscaping and integrate the creek into it. True leaves are a maintenance headache in the fall but unless your yard and all the yards around your yard are treeless it will be always be a maintenance issue.
There are advantages and disadvantages to shade cover. One advantage is for the fish. They need partial coverage. If they are left out in the sun with no coverage they will die from sunburn. Second the water stays cooler which reduces algae bloom. The fish require less food in cooler waters so less fish waste then less excess nitrogen. The disadvantage is if there is too much shade you lilies may not produce flowers.
If you plan to have fish the fish basin should be a minimum of three feet deep. Do not put a plant shelf in the fish pond. Predators like herons can wade in 2 feet of water and clean out a pond in no time. The fish need the depth for security and sense of well being. They also will go deep in the winter because it stays warmer in the bottom.
My yard has a gentle slope and does not lend itself to a large waterfall. A gentle slope requires gentle cascades. I planed the spacing of the basins and the waterfalls to have minimum drop of 4 to 6 inches between basins. This provides enough height to provide a visual interesting and subtle sounding cascade.
After you have the basic concept on paper, lay out the creek form in the yard with garden hoses or a rope to get a sense of scale.
An Elevation Drawing
Tools
My yard is a heavy clay soil which imposes its own problems. When it is dry it is like concrete. To combat clay soils I would sprinkle the ground where I plan to dig heavily and long each day for 2 or 3 days before I dig. The clay will then take in enough moisture to be manageable and not too wet. The right consistency is like hard peanut butter. The clay can then easily shape into the desired forms.
My favorite tool for digging in heavy clay is Ames # 41126 floral shovel. This is an open backed tough duty spade shovel. It has a 43 inch ash handle, a size #0 blade that is 8 ¼”L By 6”W.
It is ideal for digging in tough hard soil, tight spaces such as digging out stumps and is good for transplanting small plants and shrubs. It has a durable down sized tempered steel blade for easier soil penetration.
Not all stores carry the smaller spade; you may need to shop around. They are sometimes advertised as a woman’s shovel. Don’t be fooled by this, the clay is so tuff that I have managed to break four of these shovels while building my pond.
For deeper holes I would used my roto-tiller. I would grind out a layer of soil then scoop out the debris.
Once I get close to the final depth in a basin I used a 3 inch bent blade scraper. By pealing off layers a ¼ inch at a time, it is ideal for flattening and leveling the bottoms of the creek beds. It is also invaluable and for leveling and setting the sides and the flag stone.
Another good tool I use is a leaded mallet. The mallet is used mainly to set the flagstone flat into the bottom if the beds.
Ames # 41126 Floral Shovel
Stanley 28 170 3 Inch Bent Blade Burn-off Scraper
Construction
When digging the pond use the spoils to help level and accent the shoreline. Use the spoils to create high spots at the bends of the creek. This gives the impression the cheek encountered an obstacle and rerouted itself. These are also the place where you would see your largest stones.
Don’t cart off the spoils, use it to create burms and hills around the creek. A hilly landscape is always more interesting than a flat one.
Use the spoils to mound soil slightly higher parallel to the creek to discourage infiltration of rainwater and contaminants into the creek system during a rain storm.
Watch what happens when it rains in your yard. Note what path the runoff takes during a heavy rain storm. If possible do not locate your creek here. Heavy downpours are the biggest cause of problems in a pond system. You don’t want your creek to become some sort of storm ditch.
Plan your creek to be away from the normal drainage channels. Still some runoff can not be avoided. Divert the storm waters away from the creek by creating catch basins in low areas outside the creek. Use the digging spoils to burm in front of the creek to force the water into the drainage basin and not the creek. By use of hidden drains and pipes the runoff can be channeled away from the problem area.
Use plantings to stabilize the soil of the burm. Spreading ground cover like sedum anchors the soil well and looks natural along the shoreline.
Install a drain tile and on the up hill side of the creek buried in rough gravel. This is called a French drain and is the same method used to keep your basement dry. Cover the gravel with about 1 inch of light soil. This area can also be planted with ground cover and still drain well.
Diverting Storm Water
Shallow Creek
At the beginning of my creek is a 150+ year old oak tree. I did not want to disturb the root system of the tree so I created the creek to be shallow in this section. The creek bed here will be only 3 inches deep. In this section I have a gradual drop so I stair step the flagstone to creating a gentle cascade down the hill. This bed is flat and shallow and turned out to be the perfect bird bath for the local wildlife during the heat of the summer.
Shallow Creek flowing into Shallow Basin
Shallow Creek Bed Details
Creek Basin
Gold Fish in a Large Basin
Basins
Away from the oak tree roots I can create basins. A basin is a section of the creek which goes deeper. The basins break up the shape of the creek adding visual interest. It is also a good place for plants.
Like a real creek, the creek starts out small and gets larger as it continues. Each succeeding basin gets larger and deeper. In the middle of the creek is the widest and deepest basin, the fish basin. The creek continues on and becomes smaller with further basins. At the end of the creek the last basin acts as a reservoir.
Horizontal VS Vertical Shoreline
Shore Line
Most pond books and web pages use a technique of using a wide flat horizontal shelf around the parameter of the pond shorelines. The shelf is then stacked with flat stone limestone. This method gives the appearance of a swimming pool more than a creek. You see this technique in larger round ponds. I guess it is to secure the liner and prevent it from getting pulled into the pond. A disadvantage is the liner is seen below the stone. Also you can not locate plantings near the shore.
For the vertical method, the bolder in front of the liner holds the liner it in the vertical against the soil or other stones. The waterline should be the midpoint of the cobbles. This makes the basin appears to be more natural. The waterfall elevation determines the height of the water in the creeks basin. The water will be about 1 inch above the waterfall’s shelf. As long as the outflow is unrestricted this level will always be the same. The creek’s shore edge then only needs to stand up about 3 to 4 inches above this water level. Planting can be close to the waters edge giving the creek a more realistic shoreline.
EPDM Liner
Liners
There a three construction methods used to create backyard ponds. 1) is preformed plastic tub, 2) gunite (a type of concrete) and 3) rubber liner.
It may seem like a good idea to use performed plastic pond but they have their own problems. First they are difficult to install and level in the ground. They don’t give you the freedom of the shapes or looks that you want. Third they are prone to breakage and are unrepairable if broken.
The second option is gunite. Many large ponds and swimming pools are constructed in gunite. It is the most durable material and will last the longest but it is also very expensive. gunite requires special equipment and techniques which is something the normal home owner can’t do himself.
The third option is the best for most applications, a rubber liner. There are several different types, PVC, reinforced polyethylene, High Density Polyethylene, and ethylene polyethylene.
PVC is a synthetic vinyl that is susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) degradation and must be completely covered against exposure to UV rays. PVC only has a guarantee of 10 years.
Reinforced polyethylene is reinforced with a ply of polyester scrim laid in a crisscrossed pattern throughout the material making it highly tear and puncture resistant. This product comes in several thickness, the thinnest having no guarantee to the 24 mill thick version of the material carries a 20 year guarantee.
High Density Polyethylene is an industrial product mainly for oilfield reserve pits, wastewater lagoons and temporary storage pits.
I chose the most popular liner, a 45-mil liner by Firestone. Firestone PondGard an EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) liner. This is a synthetic rubber liner that is highly flexible, stable and fish safe. It stays flexible in temperatures from -40° to 175° Fahrenheit. This type of liner does not contain plasticizers that could make it become brittle with age. It is also resistance to the effects of ultraviolet radiation, ozone and other outdoor conditions. It also carries a 20 year guarantee.
You need a good underpayment to protect the liner from rocks and tree roots.
I have read about using newspapers or old carpet as the underlayment. Somehow this doesn’t really appeal to me. I chose an underlayment designed for ponds; Geo-Pad which is a polypropylene non-woven needle punched fabric. It resists ultraviolet exposure, is non-biodegradable and resists most soil chemicals, mildew, insects and rodents.
Liners come in a variety of different sizes and shapes and range from 5’ to 50’ in widths. Some of the bigger liners become very heavy and require a common carrier delivery that must be signed for. In many cases the shipping company will not unload the merchandise.
There are a lot of internet sites that will help you calculate your liner needs. Remember to take into account the extra material used in the bottoms of the basins.
The worst things people do are to try to maximize the use of the liner, after all the liners are expensive. What happens is the pond becomes the shape of the liner and not the liner the shape of the pond. The pond becomes square and the creek becomes straight. Never buy the liner first, finalize you design on paper first then match the liner to the design. Some liner cutting is to be expected.
I always cut the liner bigger after the initial fit. Once the shoreline is established with the rock and stone in place the system proofed to hold water, I then complete the final trimming of the liner.
I will admit it is upsetting to cut great holes in your new liner, but stick with your original design it is well worth it. Remember, in garden compositions the negative spaces are just as important as the positive. The negative space here is the hill created from the spoils. The creek flows around the high spot just like a real creek.
Sizing up the Liner
The Liner in the Ground
After Landscaping
Plantings
Depending on the orientation the creek there will be the primary viewed side. You want to place the larger plant behind the creek and use shorter ones in front. I place small bushes at the creek bends to break up the view.
I like to use different varieties of rock garden perennials. I use stonecrop sedum near the shore because it likes to creep in between the shore rocks.
Large plants in the back (Left) and short in the front (Right)
A Bog Area
Conclusion
I hope this article helped to inform you on some of the special considerations required for the construction of a creek pond. Constructing a creek pond can be complicated but it is very rewarding.
Even if you don’t plan to construct the creek yourself, I hope that the techniques pointed out may be helpful for you to better plan your creek and screen construction bidders.
90% of a successful creek build is the proper planning and preparation. It is a lot of work up front but once executed you should have a very realistic and well functioning creek when completed. You will have a creek pond that will be enjoyed for twenty years or more to come.
Waterfall Details
Using Multiple Liners
Creek design allows the use of multiple liners which is not possible in round ponds. You can choose different liner shapes for different sections. This helps to reduce the cost and the amount of waste. The interface between two liners can be accomplished easiest at the waterfalls. Flagstone is used to provide a cover of the liner along with visually interesting edge.
Maintenance
Any pond requires route maintenance, a creek pond even more so. A creek pond has extensive shoreline. Sticks, leaves rocks get trapped between the rocks and periodically needs to be cleaned out.
Animals and the flow of the water will shift the stones of the shoreline from their original places.
Bog Garden
Creek ponds don’t lend themselves to large plantings of aquatic plants. Aquatic plants are typically large and take a lot of real estate. A bog area is ideal for the planting of these plants. Put you bog area in low spots near the creek. A good place is at the foot of the creek; it will look as if the creek flows into a bog and is then consumed. I use the large rubber cut away pieces left from construction of the creek for bog planting areas.
Excavate the hole about 12 to 18 inches deep, install the scrap liner material, and poke holes in the bottom of the liner with a pitch fork to provide drainage. Back fill with the soil. I like to add, compost, sphagnum peat moss and a commercial moisture product. Trim the liner to be about two inches below the surface to conceal.
Water deeply. The bog will stay wet for five days. It isn’t necessary to water every day a five day watering is typical.
Mulch or a cover of leaves should be added in the fall before frost. Remove in spring after temperatures get above 32°.
Ideal plants for bog areas are Japanese Iris, many varieties of rush, cattail, moneywort, papyrus, arrow head, aquatic forget-me-nots, marsh marigold, obedient plant, cardinal flower, sedge reed, chameleon plant and many more.